Latex girdle with reinforced garter tabs



Oct. 11, 1960 w. J. DORSEY 2,955,597

LATEX vamnma WITH REINFORCED GARTER was Filed Oct. 22,1956

INVENTOR WILLIAM J. DORSEY BY M ATTORNEY Un t d St tes Patent 50 LATEXGIRDLE WITH REINFORCED GARTER TABS WilliamJ. Dorsey, Dover, Del.,assignor to International Latex Corporation, Dover, Del., a corporationof Delaware Filed Oct. 22, 1956, Ser. No. 617,293

2 Claims. (Cl. 128-521) This invention relates to a deposited rubberlatex girdle of the type having dependent, integral, deposited latexgarter tabs which extend from the lower edge at each side of the frontand back thereof. More particularly, the invention relates to thereinforcing of the garter tabs with fabric to prevent tearing at thejuncture thereof with the body portion of the girdle due to the stressesimposed thereon during use of the girdle.

Attempts to reduce the incidence of garter failure in deposited latexgirdles with integral tabs by reinforcing the tabs with fabric embeddedin the deposited latex did not achieve the desired result. Although theincidence of failure by tearing of the strap per se was reduced, anundesirably high and inexplicable incidence of failure by tearing in theregion where the fabric reinforced girdle joined the body of the girdlewas observed.

In accordance with the present invention, it has been .found that tearresistance of the garter tabs at the juncture thereof with the girdlecan be materially improved if a knitted textile fabric, either naturalor synthetic, is used for the reinforcement and this knitted textilefabric oriented in the tabs in a rather unusual manner relative to thedirection of maximum stretch of the knitted fabric. More specifically,the knitted fabric is bias cut and incorporated in the tabs and portionsof the body of the girdle adjacent the juncture of the tabs so that thedirection of maximum stretch is towards the center portion of the girdle(i.e., is at an angle of between 30 and 60 to the longitudinal axis ofthe tabs).

It has been found that the knitted fabric when so oriented not onlyprovides a surprising increase in the resistance to tearing of thegarter tabs at the juncture thereof with the girdle but also reinforcesand reduces the longitudinal stretchability of the garter tabs so as toprevent over-stretching of the garter tabs and failure thereof. At thesametime the orientation of the knitted fabric permits sufiicientstretching of the tabs longitudinally to insure comfort.

Having briefly described the invention a more detailed description isgiven hereafter by reference to the accompanying drawings herein.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation view of a deposited latex girdleincorporating garter tabs reinforced in accordance with the presentinention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged partial elevation view of the lower portion of thegirdle and garter tabs with parts broken away to show the incorporationof the reinforcing fabric in the garter tabs, and

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a piece of knitted textile fabric showing thebias cutting of the reinforcing fabric for the garter tabs shown in Fig.2.

Referring to Fig. l of the drawings there is shown a deposited latexgirdle incorporating four integral garter tabs 11, two in the front andtwo in the back. For the purpose of illustration a garter 12 is shownattached to one of the tabs 11. When the girdle is in use a garter 12is, of course, attached to each of the garter tabs 11.

2,955,597 Patentedoct. 11,1960

In accordance with the invention, all of the garter tabs 11 arereinforced with strips 13 of knitted textile fabric, such as nylonknitted fabric, which extend substantially coextensive with and areembedded in and adhered to the tabs 11 and extend into and are embeddedin the body portion 14 of the girdle adjacent the juncture of the tabs11 with the body portion 14. Preferably the end portions 13a of thestrips 13 which extend into the body portion 14 are enlarged to providea maximum adhesion area and reduction in stress concentration at theboundary thereof by distributing the load over a large area.

As best shown in Fig. 2, the reinforcing strips 13 are cut from a sheetof knitted textile fabric 15 on a bias of between 30 and 60, preferablyabout 45. As is well known, a knitted fabric is highly stretchable inone direction and substantially unstretchable in a direction thereto. InFig. 3, the arrow AA indicates the highly stretchable direction of thefabric 15 and the arrow BB the relatively unstretchable direction of thefabric 15. By cutting the reinforcing strips 13 on a bias of between 30and 60, it will be evident that the direction of maximum stretch of thestrips 13 will be at an angle of between 30 and 60 to the longitudinalaxis C-C of the strips 13.

In accordance with the invention, the bias cut strips 13 areincorporated in the tabs 11 so that the direction of the maximumstretch, as indicated by the arrow AA, extends towards the centerportion of the girdle at the bias angle of between 30 and 60 to thelongitudinal axis C-C.

The reinforcing strips 13 may be conveniently embedded in and adhered tothe tabs 11 and body portion 14 during the forming of the girdle in thedipping operation. This is done by first making one or more dips intothe latex to deposit one or more layers on the form, by known methodssuch as those described in US. Patent No. 2,360,- 736, issued October17, 1944, to A. N. Spanel, then applying the strips 13 in the properlocation on the deposited latex on the form, and thereafter making oneor more dips in the latex to completely embed the strips in the tabs 11and body portion 14. Thereafter the girdle is cured by well knownmethods.

When the garter tabs 13 are reinforced as above described, the incidenceof tearing of the tabs 11 at the juncture thereof with the body portion14 is materially reduced. At the same time, the component of stretch ofthe fabric strips 13 in the longitudinal direction is suflicient toinsure comfort in supporting the stockings of the wearer of the girdle,but is not of a magnitude sufiicient to permit over-stretching.

If desired the thickness of the deposited latex in the areas of theenlarged end portions 13a of the strips 13 and areas immediatelysurrounding the enlarged end portions 13a may be increased a substantialamount, i.e.,

to one and one half to two times that of the thickness of the major areaof the girdle, to thereby provide additional reinforcement in theseareas. These areas of increased thickness extend a substantial distance,i.e., or more, beyond the boundaries of the end portions 13a. In Fig. 2,the boundaries of these areas of increased thickness are indicated bythe broken lines 16.

While one embodiment of the invention has been described above, it is tobe understood that this is for the purpose of illustration only and thatchanges and modifi cations can be made therein Without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A deposited latex girdle having dependent integral garter tabsextending from the lower edge of the body portion of the girdle at eachside thereof, said garter tabs being reinforced with a knitted textilefabric which is embedded therein and extends into and is embedded inthe'body portion of the girdle adjacent the juncture of the'tabs withsaid body portion, said textile fabric being bias cut and embedded insaid tabs and body portion with the direction of maximum stretch thereoforiented towards the center portion of the girdle.

2. A deposited latex garment having laterally spaced dependentintegral'tabs extending from the body of the garment, said tabs beingreinforced with a knitted textile fabric which is adhered to said tabsand the body portion of the garment adjacent the juncture of the tabswith said body portion, said textile fabric being bias cut and adheredto said tabs and body portion with the direction of maximum stretchthereof oriented towards the center portion of the garment.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,478,095 Bender Dec. 18, 1923 2,196,492 Clark et a1. Apr. 9, 19402,360,736 Spanel Oct. 17, 1944 2,686,311 Rosenberg Aug. 17, 19542,700,766 Rosenberg Feb. 1, 1955 2,806,221 Dorsey Sept. 17, 1957

